Poland: something a bit different?

Poland is not exactly a favourite second-home spot for British buyers, yet it has become popular with investors in recent years, and offers a diverse range of property.

You can buy a rural home in the country side, an apartment in a ski resort such as Poland's glitzy Zakopane, a city pad, or a new-build apartment in one of the country's fast-evolving areas.

Whilst Cracow is a popular city-break destination, it is also a good place for investment, and there has been a trend for middle-class Britons to relocate to Poland in recent years.

Cracow, along with the other cities of Katowice, Poznań, Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdańsk are well communicated with many airports throughout Europe, including, of course, England. There are plenty of low-cost airline options.

One developer, Murapol, has been selling property in Poland for 12 years, and is well-placed to offer expert advice if you are tempted by the idea of Poland.

"We build residential and commercial projects in the major cities," says their spokesperson. "As many as six of them are located in Cracow - some in the very centre of the city within a few minutes' from the main Market Square and the historic quarters.

Apartments at Pinewood Village, a new development in Cracow (pictured), cost from £23,000 (that's a cost of £1,000 per square metre).

"Others developments are in the suburban areas overlooking the Polish Jurassic Highland - one of the greatest tourist attractions in Poland."

One of Poland's greatest attractions himself even offers Murapol plaudits: "Many of my friends reside happily at Murapol's Estates. I myself helped them make the right choices," says Tomasz Frankowski, a member of the Polish National Football Team.

Indeed it was Frankowski who scored the goal in the football game against England in the World Cup qualifying match in 2005 (but we ended up winning) but after a barren period at Wolves he earnt the nickname "the Pole without the goal".

Football trivia aside, you can find out more about Murapol's projects at murapol.pl/EN or visit them at our show at Olympia (12-14th April).